Just like a statement necklace elevates your trusty t-shirt and jeans, a great lighting piece can elevate any design scheme!These days, chandeliers don’t have to be relegated uber-opulent design schemes. Not only can a classic chandelier can feel modern and fresh in the right setting, but you can find them in all shapes and sizes – modern and minimal all the way to over-the-top elegance.
There are a lot of ways to style an entryway, but it should always be a balance of form and function, welcome you home, and get you out the door on time!
Today we’re styling a classic and elegant entryway that packs a punch but feels warm and welcoming.
A console with graceful lines like this dark chocolate number adds interest and keeps the look classic. A pair of metallic stools add a bit of function – pull out to slip on a pair of boots or tie those running shoes – and a hit of shine. Symmetrical lamps really pack a punch on a console, and an elegant statement pair like these with a strong black shade will elevate your look. Some tall blooms add height, impact, and an element of nature to your entryway.
Finish with a few clean-lined finishing touches: a tray that corrals grab-and-go items and a mirror to open up the space, and you have a classic entryway that shines!
The reports are in, and Pantone has crowned another year with another color. Their pick this year? Radiant Orchid. It’s a hue that’s especially relatable to interior design – as Pantone points out, it captures undertones from multiple color families – fuchsia, purple, and pink – making it extra versatile and a good evocation of creativity. Reading Pantone’s positively glowing descriptions of the color – “blooms with confidence,” “magical warmth,” “intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination,” “creative and embracing,” “draws you in with its beguiling charm,” “emanates great joy, love and health,” – personally, it brings to mind this image:
Yes, the Duchess. What better evokes the above qualities? In my orchid-inspired 2014, I want to focus on the simple glowing elegance, warmth, and joyful youthfulness that the color can bring.
Some practical ways you can bring some orchid-inspired color into your interiors in 2014?
1. Accentuate that Architecture
Purple hues bring out architectural detail and structured pieces in a gorgeous way – a bright purple can make a bold, refreshing statement, while a more understated hue will brim with comfort, confidence and warmth. For classic and simple elegance, go with a much deeper purple.
Bright and Bold
Simple, Comfortable and Warm
Classic Elegance
2. Say it with Flowers
An obvious connation of orchid is its connection to nature at its most lush and bountiful – a good reminder of how just bringing the outside in can renew a whole space. Do it simply with a plentiful bunch of blooms or make a more lasting impact with a beautiful art piece.
3. Go for some Glow
There’s a reason they call it radiant – just look at how that purple makes an already radiant princess glow even more brightly! Maximize its vibrant qualities by going for orchid-inspired lighting – try something with fuchsia or violet undertones. This can translate to any style from mod to regal, and add instant youthful elegance or playful glamour.
Fall is in full swing, and we all want to add that extra bit of warmth in our homes as the temperature cools. Here are four basic ways to incorporate a fall feel, whether your taste runs rustic or luxe.
If you haven’t noticed yet, acrylic coffee tables are popping up everywhere in some of the most beautifully designed homes. And there is a reason that these modern beauties work in almost any space – completely translucent, they take up absolutely no visual room, and work with absolutely any scheme. They add a slight edge to the most traditional of rooms and combine surprisingly well with any style from glam vintage to urban sleek. Where coffee tables are concerned, it’s the ultimate no-fail solution!
I don’t know about you, but one of the first things I notice when I walk into someone’s home is the smell – for better or worse. Whether it’s a great scent like freshly baked bread or fresh flowers, or a less pleasant experience – home scent can make the first impression when you step in the door. More importantly, home fragrance can increase your enjoyment of your home, invigorate you, relax you, and affect the ambience that surrounds your day-to-day life.
So says one of the best among home fragrance companies – Antica Farmacista, whose wonderland of products with luscious names like Prosecco and Casablanca could tempt anyone to break the bank stocking up on scents for every room and occasion. Since becoming Friends with Antica Famacista co-owner, Shelley Callaghan (and her generosity in lavishly supplying my own home and office with their amazing products) I’ve been intrigued by all the ways they allow for their customers to shop for fragrance – not only by room of the house and fragrance-element, but more fascinating (and mostly, more fun) by personality type. Because if you’re going to add a fragrance to your home, it should be personal!
Here are three fragrance personality profiles that may inspire your home fragrance choice – you can see the many more in detail on Antica Farmacista’s website.
The Romantic
The romantic – you love to be transported, you love a good story. Your décor reflects that, and you love a fragrance that can tell a new story within your home. Among the gorgeous scents suggested at Antica Farmacista are the light, refreshing, “Acqua,” the delicious-sounding “Ala Moana,” (it means “path to the sea”) and the soft “Peonia, Gardenia & Rosa.“
The Naturalist
If you fill your home and your life with natural textures, simple styles, fresh and soothing colors, try a naturalistic fragrance to match. Fill your home with the fresh scent of natural elements. At Antica they suggest “Green Fig,” “Grapefruit,” or “Sandalwood Amber.”
The Classic
Tried-and-true classics, those quality elements that stand the test of time and don’t bend with fashions and trends – if this is what fills your home and your life, you’re a classic! Go with a fragrance that reflects that like “Casablanca,” “Prosecco,” or “Orange Blossom” (my personal favorite).
There are many ways to choose a home fragrance, but the most important thing is to choose a fragrance that not only reflects your personality but sets the mood that you want for your home – whether you want to feel invigorated, refreshed and energized, cozy and relaxed, or centered and familiar.
Window treatments – that oft overlooked design element – can be hugely impactful to great room design. It tends to be the last thing we think about (much to the room’s detriment!) when we plan our design. Simply put, they’re one of the best ways to help express a unique design aesthetic and punch up the room’s personality.
There are tons of reasons to consider your window treatment, but first, please consider The Golden Rule of drape placement.
DON’T: DO:
These two windows are exactly the same size, but the window on the right looks much larger. This, my friends is the secret to hanging draperies. Always, always, hang your drapes to the ceiling! Where possible, extend the drapes wider horizontally. This will make so much difference folks! Just say no to bad drape placement.
So, what are the advantages of a great window treatment?
Practicality. Most people want the option of privacy and the added insulation provided by window treatments.
Drama. Nothing says drama like floor-to-ceiling panels of creamy, luxurious fabric, and there is no more obvious way to add airy drama in flash.
Personality. Window treatments are just another way to express your design aesthetic and style – pick something fun that complements your design but expresses a different side of your style!
Continuity. See how the drapes below really carry the design through the whole room? They complement the accent colors, shapes, and patterns, creating a far more cohesive look.
Texture. Texture is a great tool to help a design feel more complete – especially if you’re going for a more subtle look, textured window treatments add an extra layer of interest.
Pattern. In case you hadn’t noticed, window treatments are a fabulous way to introduce all types of pattern – they cover a ton of surface area, but are an easier and safer way to incorporate pattern than a wallpaper or large furniture piece.
Color. Beautiful bright drapes all but eliminate the need for any other accent color in the room – how easy is that?
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